News Item
From: Products Finishing

Posted on:6/28/2011

A research team led by Dr. Erica Corral of the University of Arizona is investigating high-temperature-resistant ceramic coatings that will provide thermal protection for Air Force hypersonic flight vehicles.

A research team led by Dr. Erica Corral of the University of Arizona is investigating high-temperature-resistant ceramic coatings that will provide thermal protection for Air Force hypersonic flight vehicles.

The research, which is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, involves using chemical synthesis and ceramic processing methods to process the ceramic compositions onto carbon composites, which are the materials used to fabricate lightweight and high-strength aerospace vehicles.

The tests require simulating extreme aerothermal environments where temperatures on the surface of the aircraft can go as high as 2,800°C or half the surface temperature of the sun. The researchers also have been harnessing the power of the sun and focusing the solar radiation at a specific heat flux to investigate high-temperature oxidation resistance provided by the test coatings.